Please Note:Fans of this blog, please see our new site at www.therubdown.hk.
Here you can see our reviews, and you'll be able to search for spas and
massage parlors too! We welcome collaborators, suggestions, questions
and comments. Email us at therubdownhk@gmail.com! Now on with the show...
I was over at the YWCA this week on Macdonnell Road for their spring bazaar, and found out the YWCA has a new program called the Serenity Wellness and Massage Center. This is a "social enterprise," meaning it's a venture set up to train people to work and create jobs for them. Trained masseuses from the center were on hand to give demos of their skills. I got a 20-minute shoulder and head massage for $50, and am eager to go back for a full session. There is something doubly good about getting a rub down and knowing that you're helping people get back into the working world. According to the staff member I spoke with, right now they have four employees working at the center, though there are more graduates of the program who can be called in to help at busy hours.
The center is located on the 2nd floor of the YWCA building at 38C Bonham Road. Map. The website, though, wasn't working when I last checked. They're open from noon until 9 p.m. Phone is 2915 5622. They are having some opening specials through June 30th: 30 minute head and shoulder massage ($78), 45-minute aromatherapy food massage ($108), and 45-minute acupressure body massage ($158) -- good prices for that neighborhood. I haven't yet seen the center, so if you go and check it out, let us know what you think!
The center is part of a wider effort at vocational training by the Hong Kong government and nonprofit groups. If Bonham Road is too far for you to go for a rub down, try this list of other social venture massage and hair dressing parlors. And if you've been to any of them and can recommend some, let us know!
Please Note:Fans of this blog, please see our new site at www.therubdown.hk.
Here you can see our reviews, and you'll be able to search for spas and
massage parlors too! We welcome collaborators, suggestions, questions
and comments. Email us at therubdownhk@gmail.com! Now on with the show...
Heads up, if you are a fan of acupuncture or thinking of trying it. Radio Television Hong Kong reported today that Hong Kong experts are warning that bacterial infections, hepatitis B
and C, and possibly even HIV, are being transmitted via acupuncture
through the use of contaminated needles, cotton swabs and hot packs. For the full story, click here.
In
an editorial published in the British Medical Journal, microbiologists
at the University of Hong Kong said the number of reported
acupuncture-related infections worldwide was the tip of an iceberg and
they called for tighter infection control measures.
"To prevent infections transmitted by acupuncture, infection
control measures should be implemented, such as use of disposable
needles, skin disinfection procedures and aseptic techniques," wrote
the researchers, led by Patrick Woo, microbiology professor at the
university.
"Stricter regulation and accreditation requirements are also
needed," they added.
The researchers said acupuncture may be risky
as needles are inserted up to several centimeters beneath the skin and
they warned of a new syndrome -- acupuncture mycobacteriosis -- in the
21st century. "This is an infection caused by mycobacteria that rapidly
grow around the acupuncture insertion point as a result of contaminated
cotton wool swabs, towels and hot-pack covers. There is a long
incubation period but the infection usually leads to large abscesses
and ulcers," they wrote.
"So far, more than 50 cases have been described globally. In
most cases ... bacteria were transmitted from the patient's skin flora
or the environment because of inadequate skin disinfection before
acupuncture," they wrote. While most patients recover from these
bacterial infections, five to 10 percent of the reported bacterial
infections end up with serious problems including joint destruction,
multi-organ failure, flesh-eating disease and paralysis. There have
been at least five outbreaks of hepatitis B virus infection that are
linked to acupuncture.
In most of these cases, the sources were infected patients and
the virus was transmitted through dirty needles, although in one case,
it was the acupuncturist who was the source, they said. The paper also
laid out the possibility of transmission of hepatitis C and HIV via
acupuncture. "Although no clear evidence exists to support a link
between acupuncture and HIV infection, there are reports of patients
with HIV who had no risk factors other than acupuncture," it said.
Please Note:Fans of this blog, please see our new site at www.therubdown.hk.
Here you can see our reviews, and you'll be able to search for spas and
massage parlors too! We welcome collaborators, suggestions, questions
and comments. Email us at therubdownhk@gmail.com! Now on with the show...
O.K. gang, now for something a little different. We here at the Rubdown are an international bunch, and we know you like to travel too. So when our friend Kelly C. in New York City offered to write us a review of the hot Yelo Spa in Manhattan, we were more than happy to accept. And, Kelly came back with a scoop: Yelo is planning to open a Hong Kong outpost later this year, in cahoots with Sense of Touch. How's that for breaking news? You heard it here first, folks!
We'll bring you updates as we get them. But now, we offer you a video on Yelo and Kelly's thoughts on the joint. Thanks, Kelly!
I walked into the door of Yelo Spa for my first visit thinking that they had some ground to make up with me.
I walked out an hour and a half later blissful and relaxed, an
enthusiastic convert to the ways of this East-Meets-West oasis. The New
Yorker in me, fixated on fighting my way through injustice, both
perceived and real, was tamed by the yogi sage in me, who remembered
what was important.
The experience started a few weeks ago when, looking for a new
spa experience that I might offer to my sister and her friends who were
visiting for the weekend, I stumbled on the Yelo Web site, www.yelospa.com,
and was immediately captivated. Images of an inviting space,
illuminated by glowing lights in shades of saffron and fuchsia,
beckoned. On offer were sessions of soothing reflexology-based
treatments, and the spa’s signature Yelonaps, experienced in chambers
known as Yelocabs — rooms that combine, aromatherapy, purified air, and
the customized YeloChair, which elevates the legs over the heart to
encourage relaxation.
The Web site spoke of bringing the ways of Eastern aesthetics and
traditions to busy Western urbanites, ideas that intrigued this busy
journalist/yoga teacher.
My sister and her friends ultimately decided against a spa weekend, but I was hooked on the idea of a Yelospa visit. And so, full of expectations that what I was headed for was nothing short of enlightened-thus-nothing-can-go-wrong
spa treatments, I booked online for two treatments, a reflexology “Wake
Up Call” session for USD $115, designed for those feeling tired and/or
depressed, and an AlphaLounger session, USD $28 for 23 minutes, a
multi-sensory adventure in a state-of-the-art lounger.
My debit card was debited immediately for both treatments. When I
called to check that my appointments were confirmed, I was told that
the session in the “AlphaLounger” chair, was not available. Grrr.
Being pre-charged for a spa treatment is already annoying in my book.
Being pre-charged for a treatment that is not available is doubly
annoying. The representative I spoke with on the phone apologized and
assured me I would be refunded for the Alpha Lounger Session.
And so I arrived for my remaining scheduled treatment. The
receptionist, who was unaware of the payment mixup and whether my card
had been refunded, (annoying), did offer me some soothing herbal tea,
then sat me down in the glowing saffron reception area and called
Michael Hazel, the director of operations, to meet with me in person.
Mr. Hazel apologized for the charging mixup and explained that they had
expected the AlphaLounger to be fixed by the time of my scheduled
appointment. But, he explained, gesturing to the wavy lounge chair
sitting unplugged and unceremoniously in the reception area, the
AlphaLounger was still out of commission. He assured me that all
reparations would be made.
My eye lingered wistfully on the AlphaLounger, which was one of
the reasons I wanted to visit Yelo Spa in the first place. Unplugged
and unattended to, it looked decidedly less exotic and enticing than it
did on the Web site, which portrays a glowing deep-blue C-shaped
lounger that promises to engulf the body in “uniquely created sound
compositions” combined with soft warmth and a light rocking motion.
I thought about taking my refund for the AlphaLounger session
and just going with the “Wake Up Call” reflexology. But the tea and
Michael’s sincere and down-to-earth apology had mellowed me and I
decided to add another treatment, one of the spa’s signature YeloNaps.
At USD$18, the nap was inexpensive and paired well with the reflexology.
The receptionist gave me a questionnaire regarding my general
state of health and my preferences for sounds and fragrances during my
treatment. I put down that I was stressed and tired. (Didn’t have to
tell them that!) I requested sounds of falling rain and aromas of
lavender and Indian spices.
The warm color scheme, inspired by the colors favored by Tibetan
monks, began to seep in and I started to tune into the décor.
The Eastern vibe is intentional, according to Yelo’s founder and chief
executive Nicolas Ronco. A French entrepreneur and a frequent
business traveler to Asia, Mr. Ronco found himself drawn to Eastern
wellness traditions. In particular, he began noticing the positive
effect of taking a short break during the day to
recharge and renew.
Yelo opened its doors in midtown Manhattan in 2007, billing
itself as a wellness center rather than a spa and heavily promoting the YeloNaps. Yelo was not the first, commercial nap space in the
city. Among others, MetroNaps had opened in the Empire State
Building.
The downturn has affected the power nap business, and Mr. Ronco has
added a menu of conventional spa services to Yelo’s offerings, but he
remains convinced that his formula of offering the busy urbanite an
easy, quick way to recharge and renew is a winning one.
After I finished my tea, Micah, my physical therapist, led me
down the glowing saffron hallway to my Yelocab. He instructed me to
remove my boots and tights, but leave everything else on. (“You don’t
get naked here,” Mr. Ronco explained, a policy keeping in line with his
philosophy of keeping sessions quick and easy.) I sat down in the YeloChair, which looked like a glorified leather recliner, and waited
for Micah.
He came into the room, reclined my chair to a prone position,
my legs slightly raised in a comfortable position. Micah covered me
with a light, buttery blanket and began the session by giving my feet a
warm towel bath. The simple joy of having your feet covered and gently
cleaned in a warm, fragrant towel cannot be underestimated.
Micah then massaged my feet and head, using a gentle reflexology
style developed by an American physiotherapist, Eunice Ingham. He
devoted extra attention to my ears, which took a few moments to get used
to, but ultimately left me drifting toward sleep.
At the end of the 40-minute massage, he wrapped my feet in
what seemed to be soft cotton booties, and left the room, a fact I
registered only vaguely. With my feet swaddled, my muscles relaxed, and
the sound of falling rain all around me, I fell into my 20-minute
Yelonap.
A gentle brightening of the room and vibrating of my chair
brought me awake. Micah returned with some cool water and told me to
take my time as I returned to the world of New York.
I drank the water, put on my boots and floated out of the YeloCab,
deciding that, whatever the imperfections, this place was on to
something. Mr. Ronco is convinced of that as well, and said he has plans to open a
Yelo spa in Hong Kong, through a licensing agreement with the creators
of Sense of Touch spas, later this year.
Yelo Spa, 315 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019, United States. +1-212-245-8235.map.
